


Heaven Is Here

by orphan_account



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: 5 years post pilot, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Lots of Angst, M/M, NOW WITH A HAPPY ENDING, Redeemed!Angel Dust, protective!alastor, slight depictions of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 15:49:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21914581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It had been 5 years since the Happy Hotel’s opening and there was still no sign of redemption in sight; at least, until today.
Relationships: Alastor/Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Charlie Magne/Vaggie
Comments: 26
Kudos: 413





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well here it is at long last! This is my first work for Hazbin, so I apologize in advance if anything is OOC or seems off. But I hope you guys do enjoy, I had fun writing this! Part 2 will be coming shortly~
> 
> EDIT (1/25):  
Made a small edit now that Angel’s real name has been revealed on stream!!

It had been years in coming. 

The hotel was thriving despite not having yet had a single case of redemption in its 5 years of being open, and the hotel’s staff were busier than they ever had been in previous years. Charlie would say she was surprised that their one and only sponsor, the elusive and all-powerful Radio Demon, was still around and lending a hand but seeing how he’d been acting around their first ever patron lately did all the explaining she needed. She softly smiled as said Radio Demon lightly twirled Angel Dust as they cooked in the hotel’s kitchen, Alastor playing some old and cheesy song that she didn’t quite recognize. 

The two had grown very close despite their many, many differences and Charlie wasn’t the only one surprised by their growing affection for each other. Even the two of them had seemed very shocked about the seriousness of the feelings they held. But Charlie absolutely wouldn’t complain, the atmosphere around the hotel had been so warm lately and Alastor had been so much more genuinely helpful and less condescending towards everyone than when they first met.  _ A match made in Hell _ , she mused to herself with a slight giggle as she continued observing the two. 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself hun but we are so behind on everything we need to have done by the end of today,” Vaggie said suddenly, lightly grabbing her arm. Charlie sighed, looking down at the stack of paperwork she was holding. 

“We really should hire on more help, shouldn’t we?”

“You wanna ask Mr. Talkshow Shitlord over there if he’s got any more of those ‘favors’ up his sleeve?” Vaggie suggested, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the kitchen. The sound of Alastor’s laugh briefly drowned out the music he’d been playing. “‘Specially where he’s been in such a good mood lately, probably couldn’t hurt to ask?” 

“Maybe later,” Charlie said, smiling as she planted a quick kiss on her girlfriend’s lips. “Come on we’ve got work to do.” 

-

“Why d’you havta be so damn good at everything Al?” Angel mumbled out around the bite of food he’d stolen, almost moaning as the spices hit his taste buds just right. “I literally never had food this good before meetin’ you.” 

Alastor chuckled, lightly twirling the ladle he was holding. His hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, which Angel absolutely adored, and his sleeves were rolled up to reveal his forearms and the mess of scars that adorned them. Today was also one of the rare days that the deer demon was allowing his tail to be exposed, and Angel kept having to resist the urge to pet the fluffy red and black appendage every time it twitched. “Years of practice and my mother’s recipes, my dear. Nothing much of a miracle there,” Alastor said warmly, stirring the pot he’d been keeping an eye on. 

Angel smiled fondly. Never did he think he was going to be this content living without the things he surrounded himself with while he was alive. He was proud to say at this point that he’d been completely clean going on 2 years now, and it was strange how happy that made him feel. Put that together with his newfound relationship with Alastor and he was over the moon. This is where Angel was always supposed to be, in this crappy hotel on the other side of town with these crazy bitches that were no fun. 

Angel let out a small yelp as the chair he was sitting in suddenly tilted backwards, waving all four of his arms to try and balance himself. “No more until it’s done, mon cher,” Alastor said with a coy smile as he glanced over. Angel glanced down at the culprit that had prevented him from taking another bite, which was none other than Alastor’s shadow. He scowled at the shadow that was now silently snickering to itself as it released the chair. 

“What if I was grabbin’ some for Fat Nuggets huh?” Angel grumbled, unhappy he’d been caught. He really wanted another bite right now. 

“Hm, I don’t believe the pig would enjoy this particular meal,” Alastor said, a mocking thoughtful expression on his face. He tossed some ingredients into his pot. “Well… maybe one particular pig is enjoying it too much,” he teased as a short laugh track played. 

“Wh- bastard! Not my fault your cooking is too good! I don’t usually eat that much!” 

Alastor gave a musical laugh, ears twitching slightly. “Of course darling, we’ll go with that.” He started humming along with the music he’d been playing, tail unconsciously bobbing with the rhythm as he finished his dish. Angel was absolutely not leaving this kitchen without touching that tail at least once because Alastor  _ had _ to know he was  _ relentlessly _ teasing Angel with it. 

“Well~ I do know of one thing that’ll keep me distracted from your perfect food,” Angel said suggestively, a grin adorning his face as he stood and slid next to Alastor so they were shoulder to shoulder. “Ever heard of ‘Kissin’ the Cook’?”

Alastor gave him an amused look, Angel silently cheering as he made no move to get away. “Oh I don’t believe I have, maybe you can explain it to me,” he purred, leaning in. 

Angel felt his face flush, cursing Alastor for being so damn good at flirting when he wanted to and making his stomach do flips like this. He quickly recovered, leaning in as well. “I’m not the best teacher, so it might take a few tries,” he said smoothly, resisting the urge to pull Alastor into him like he so badly wanted to do. It had been a long trial and error period for Angel, learning what kind of touch was okay with Alastor, and he’d found that letting the other initiate what he wanted was the key to it all. Oh it was hard at times keeping his hands to himself, but it paid off tenfold when the Radio Demon was in the mood for affection. Like now. 

Angel closed his eyes as lips pressed against his, the familiar bitterness of black coffee gracing his senses. He resisted the urge to swoon when Alastor dragged his fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, the deer demon didn’t usually allow himself to be quite this publicly affectionate. Angel decided to risk brushing his fingers through Alastor’s ears, with which he was rewarded with a content hum against his lips. He slightly cracked open one of his eyes to see that Alastor’s shadow was now watching over the pot while its owner was otherwise preoccupied. 

Deciding to push his luck, Angel brushed another set of fingers through the slightly wagging tail that had been tantalizing him all morning. Alastor let out a noise that was surprised but bordering pleasure, emitting a quiet static that almost sounded like purring. Angel swore internally, fighting every cell in his body that was telling him to pin the other to the floor and take him right there and then. 

Suddenly Alastor pulled away, and Angel almost audibly whined. “Did you need something, Niffty dear?” Angel’s face immediately felt like it was on fire, not realizing the tiny demon had walked in on them. Normally he’d never feel awkward about being caught with someone, but with Alastor it was different for a reason he couldn’t pinpoint. 

“O-oh my gosh I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt! But I walked in and I didn’t think you’d be doing  _ that _ and then I  _ couldn’t look away because oh my goodness you are so in love  _ and it makes me so  _ happy- _ “ She suddenly stopped mid-sentence and covered her mouth looking like she knew she’d said too much. 

Angel wanted to sink through the floor in embarrassment, while Alastor just seemed amused by the whole situation. “What did you need, darling?” Alastor asked again patiently, swiftly redoing his ponytail and smoothing the strands of hair that had escaped. 

Niffty fumbled over her words for a few seconds, still visibly nervous as her eye looked everywhere but Alastor. “Ch-Charlie was j-just wondering if lunch was ready, and so she asked me to come over to see if it was and that’s when I walked in and-“ 

“It’s just about ready,” Alastor cut her off, motioning for his shadow to start setting the table. “If you’d like to run back and let Charlie know I would be much appreciative, dear.” 

Niffty nodded as fast as she could, quickly taking off with a small “sorry!” as she ran in the opposite direction. Angel sighed heavily, taking his seat at the table again. “We’re picking up where we left off later tonight, right?” he asked, not hoping for much. 

Alastor hummed, rolling his sleeves back down to his wrists. “We’ll have to wait and see, now won’t we cher?” 

Angel suppressed a shiver at the promise behind those words. Oh tonight couldn’t come fast enough. 

-

Alastor hummed a bit from a song he’d been listening to quite often lately as he and Niffty cleaned the kitchen and dining room after everyone had finished their meal. He’d gotten the usual outstanding compliments on the dishes from most everyone, especially Charlie. He honestly found himself a tad surprised the hotel’s residents weren’t used to his cooking by now and taking it for granted. 

The… domesticity, Alastor supposed he should say, was really starting to get to him. He felt more content than he ever had been; well, at least as content as he’d been following his mother’s death and manifesting in this place. He very much thought he’d become bored of the hotel and its inhabitants by this point in time, but oh quite the contrary he was… happy? Placated? At first it had angered him to his core, and he hated the newfound positive emotions he had been feeling, but since embracing them he’d much appreciated the peace and calm that came with it. 

Alastor had come to feel quite possessive over the hotel as well, he honestly felt he would do anything to protect it and  _ especially _ a certain clingy spider demon. The connection he’d forged with Angel was not something he had  _ ever _ foreseen coming. Sure, the interest had been there since day one but the affection. Oh, the affection had blindsided him like nothing ever had. He could honestly say that Angel Dust was the only person outside of his mother that he’d come to care for in this capacity. Not that he’d ever willingly admit how deep those feelings ran. 

“All done over here!” Niffty chirped from the dining room, lightning quick on her feet as always. “D’you still need help with the kitchen?”

“I’ll be fine, dear. Run along and see if Charlie requires assistance, the poor sweetheart seems to have gotten in over her head with errands,” Alastor suggested, wanting the solitude for at least a little while. The smaller demon quickly obliged, gone in the blink of an eye. 

Alastor turned around, ears twitching irritably as he looked at the mountain of dishes resting in the sink. Maybe he should’ve asked her to stay a tad longer. He shrugged, snapping his fingers and allowing his magic to do the work for him as he finished tidying up the counters. His shadow flitted restlessly about him, seeming to be looking for something. Or _ someone _ . Alastor rolled his eyes in exasperation. The cursed thing was almost more clingy than Angel was. 

_ Calm yourself, he’s helping elsewhere with Charlie’s ridiculous list of errands. He’ll be free again tonight, _ Alastor mentally scolded, the shadow quietly growling at him before retreating to its usual place behind him. Oh the domesticity was absolutely rubbing off on him, his normally strict and complete control over his powers was becoming lax in the presence of the peace and calm he’d been experiencing. Safety, as well, he supposed. He’d come to view the hotel as a safe place which was… such an overwhelmingly bizarre notion. 

Alastor continued humming, willing the song itself to start playing as he continued cleaning up. This continued for about the next 10 minutes, enjoying the mindless tidying, until he suddenly froze in his tracks and the song he’d been playing was interrupted with sharp interference. Something was wrong, there was a presence in the hotel that by all accounts should not have made it past the wards he had in place. His smile almost faltered for a second, the increasing noise of static making itself known as his shadow quickly confirmed the foreign presence. 

Angels. There were angels in the hotel. In  _ his _ hotel. Alastor narrowed his eyes, apparating his microphone as he quickly made his way to the front doors. He didn’t care what they were here for; they weren’t going to get it. 

-

“The fuck is happenin’? Who the hell are you two?” Husk asked gruffly, wings instinctively curled defensively around him and ears flat against his head. “You forget the day? Y’still got 173 days till the next Extermination. Now scram, yer scarin’ away my customers.”

The two angels didn’t budge, and really didn’t seem all that amused either. The taller one’s mask flickered, seeming to be looking around. “Where is the one you sinners refer to as ‘Angel Dust’?” he asked in a distorted and almost mechanical voice. 

Husk raised an eyebrow. “The hell did he do to piss you off so much you had to send errand boys for him?” 

No reaction from the angels. “Where is the one you sinners refer to as ‘Angel Dust’?” repeated the shorter one, her voice almost having a musical quality to it, but not sounding quite right like it was off-key on every note. 

“Uh, what the fuck?” Angel popped his head around the corner with Charlie and Vaggie close behind him, eyes wide with concern. “The fuck did I do? What day is it? Should we be evacuatin’?” 

The angels exchanged a look that seemed to say “really, him?”, masks flickering in annoyance. The taller one cleared his throat, an unsettling noise, as he pulled a small roll of paper from his side and unfurled it. “We’re here to collect ‘Angel Dust’, true name Anthony Romano, for completion of the process of redemption.” 

An uncomfortable silence settled over the hotel’s lobby, everyone individually trying to process what they had just heard. Angel had a parade of emotions dancing across his face, eventually settling on anger. “Like fuckin’ hell I’m going with ya. I’m fine where I am thanks.” Charlie looked like she wanted to say something, but the spider demon held up a hand to silence her. “I didn’t ask to be ‘collected’, I don’t trust any of you mass murdering mask wearin’ freaks to take me anywhere.” 

“We didn’t ask,” the shorter one said pleasantly, giving a twirl to her spear. “We were sent to collect you, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

“My dear fellows, I believe he said he wasn’t going anywhere, so if you’d kindly remove yourselves from the premises I’d be much appreciative.” Alastor seemed to suddenly appear in the middle of everything, usual grin plastered to his face and back in his regular clothing as he placed himself in front of Angel. “We’ll give you a ring when we’re ready for your ‘redemption’.” 

The tension in the room intensified, the taller angel taking a few steps towards Alastor. “We’ll do what we can here to do, and no bottom-dwelling demons are going to get in our way.” He punctuated the end of the sentence by banging his spear against the floor as he came to a halt. 

“Oh dear me, it seems we’ve come to an impasse,” Alastor chuckled, the increasing sound of static accompanying his words. “I don’t suppose you’ll take one last offer to compromise? Before I lose my patience?” A burst of radio interference cracked the air, his shadow becoming restless. 

“Ah, wait I’ve heard of you,” the female angel said in what was almost a condescending tone, mask flickering as a smile mirroring Alastor’s made itself present. “You’re the mortal with the powers of a hell-born demon, what is it they call you down here? The ‘Radio Demon’?” She stepped forward as well, past the taller angel so she was nearly toe-to-toe with Alastor. “Nobody has any idea what kind of evils twisted your soul to give you the power you have in this realm, but there’s no redemption for you  _ deer  _ so step aside and let us take your friend over there,” she said still grinning, lightly running a finger down the side of his face. 

The temperature in the lobby immediately dropped, sigils flashing in and out of existence as radio interference blared. Alastor’s antlers were growing tenfold and his eyes had turned to dials, his claws extending outwards with a cracking noise. “Wrong choice,” came the now distorted voice, his shadow wrapping around the legs of the angel to hold her in place. “Now neither of you are leaving here in one piece.”

The angel didn’t seem all that concerned with Alastor’s change in form, looking up at him with what seemed to be an amused smile. “You forget your place, demon.” She quickly twirled her spear and drove it into his leg before he could react, and the radio interference turned into a horrid screech for a few moments. “Heaven will always have dominion over Hell’s inhabitants, no matter how powerful they might be. Don’t-“ she gasped as she was cut off, tentacles wrapped around and crushing her as blood dripped from Alastor’s palm. 

“Try… escaping… this…” Alastor’s voice sounded like a radio that was very rapidly changing stations, the static almost overtaking the few growling words he was able to articulate. He leaned forward and wrapped a set of claws around the angel’s neck - who was squirming and actually did look appropriately scared now - and started digging them in, ready to squeeze until he heard the satisfying crunch of it breaking-

Alastor stopped, feeling the tip of another spear pressed to his chest. “This one goes straight through your heart if you don’t back down right now,” the male angel finally spoke up, pushing the spear in until it broke skin to make a point. The deer demon growled, glaring at him as his claws twitched, seemingly trying to decide whether he could successfully take down both angels. 

“Fuck okay enough! Stop fuckin’ stabbing him for cryin’ out loud! I’ll go with ya now stop!” 

Alastor turned to look at Angel Dust, ears flattening as his anger started to leave him. He took a step back, releasing the female angel who then quickly took hold of her spear and tore it back out of his leg with a glare. He hissed, but made no move to retaliate as he slowly reverted back to his regular form and his shadow returned to his side. The deer demon’s smile almost faltered as Angel walked up to him and lightly touched his arm, a frown on the spider’s face. 

“You’re so stupid, you almost got yourself killed!” Angel whispered angrily, concern leaking through the words. “You can’t be doing shit like that!”

“So you’ll come with us without complaints now, Anthony?” The male angel asked, spear still raised towards Alastor. “I’d hate to have to kill a demon outside of the Cleanse, so much extra paperwork.” 

“I won’t allow them to collect you against your will, cher,” Alastor said quietly, ears flat against his head as he looked at Angel. He was leaning heavily on his microphone, blood steadily flowing from the wound in his leg. “If they don’t remove themselves from this hotel then I-“ he was cut off as Angel suddenly pressed his lips against his. The kiss was quick, remorseful, and served as a goodbye. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m comin’ as long as you assholes stop harassing everyone,” Angel said waving an arm as he walked towards them and away from Alastor. “I hate both of you more and more the longer I know you.” 

“Wise decision. Step right this way and we’ll be out of here quickly.” 

Angel looked back as he was led away, trying not to let anguish overtake him as he saw the forlorn and almost betrayed expression on Alastor’s face, his smile struggling to stay in place. “Please don’t look so sad Al, I’m not gonna let these fuckers kill ya over something stupid like this. You’ll meet me up there one day right?” 

There was a small pause, Alastor seeming to try and decide what to say. “Ce n'est pas possible pour moi, mon cher.” The words weren’t overlaid by static, it was Alastor’s true voice, and the words laid in Angel’s chest like a boulder. 

_ It’s not possible for me, my dear.  _ Angel’s eyes teared up, looking back at the deer demon as long as he could as the angels continued to lead him away from what had become his home. This wasn’t how he had imagined redemption, and it sure as hell wasn’t what he wanted. But it was for Alastor’s sake, as long as he could continue living here with the family they’d created Angel didn’t really care what happened to him. He was filled with overwhelming grief that he most likely wouldn’t be able to see Alastor again, but he could take solace in the fact he was still alive and hadn’t been killed on Angel’s account. 

A flash of light, and Angel Dust was gone. 

-

Alastor’s mind was swimming, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the blood loss or the loss of something else. Angel was gone, and he wasn’t able to stop it. He hadn’t failed to do a single thing since manifesting in Hell, not a single thing in decades and decades. And when it came down to it, when it mattered most, all his powers and prowess didn’t mean a goddamn thing. 

“This wound is pretty deep Al, I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to close.” He flinched as Charlie tightened a bandage around the wound, not realizing she was trying to patch him up. 

“It’s not going to close sweetheart, you should know that,” Alastor replied, trying to sound like his usual self. “Wounds inflicted by Heaven don’t heal no matter your regenerative skills.”

He felt a pair of hands close around his, and he looked up at the sadly smiling Charlie who was still trying to stay positive despite everything. She was blurry, along with everything else in his line of sight, and Alastor blinked in confusion.  _ Ah.  _ He realized as he felt a trail of wetness travel down the side of his face what was happening. It had been so long since he’d last cried he’d forgotten what it felt like. His smile was still in place though, so that was at least something he had going for him. He needed to get out of here, he’d lost control over his emotions. 

“I appreciate the bandage my dear, now please excuse me I have somewhere to be,” Alastor said, steadying his voice as much as possible as he propped himself up with his microphone. He didn’t know where he was going, he just knew that he couldn’t be here, surrounded by familiar faces and memories that he never wanted. 

With a snap of his fingers, the Radio Demon had left the Happy Hotel. And he wasn’t sure if he was ever coming back. 


	2. Chapter 2

Needless to say, the Happy Hotel had been superbly quiet for the rest of the evening. Niffty had passed by shortly after everything had come to a conclusion, and Charlie had the unfortunate task of explaining what had happened. The staff was now gathered around Husk’s bar, the hotel’s patrons still too wary to emerge from whichever rooms they’d decided to hide themselves in during the commotion. 

“I’m sure Al is gonna come back, right Husk?” Charlie asked suddenly, leaning on the counter and running a finger around the rim of her untouched glass. “I mean, he can’t just leave you and Niffty behind right? And after this much time helping with the hotel do you think he’d just drop everything?” Her strained attempt at positivity did nothing to help the somber mood. 

Husk glanced at her, lowering the bottle he’d been gulping down like there was no tomorrow. “I don’t know how to tell you this kid, but there’s not a chance in Hell he’s ever coming back. I’ve known him for a damn long time and he… doesn’t do connections with people outside his ‘deals’. And I’ve never seen an exception to that until this year. I couldn’t even tell you what he’s planning now that he doesn’t have that going for him, but he certainly isn’t gonna fuckin’ come back here.” 

Charlie sighed sadly, leaning into Vaggie who was sitting directly behind her. “Are you and Niffty going to have to leave too? If he doesn’t come back?” 

Husk shrugged, and Niffty glanced up from anxiously twiddling her thumbs. “I don’t care much to go anywhere now that I’m here, and I don’t think getting close to Alastor is a smart idea right now. He’s dangerous and there’s no telling how or when he’s gonna start lashing out.” 

Niffty nodded, swinging her legs. “I wanna stay too! I like you guys too much to leave!” 

Charlie smiled. “Thank you two, I…” she trailed off, looking down at the floor as her expression returned to somber. “I want to be happy, this is what we’ve been working towards since the hotel opened, but… this isn’t what I expected… Is it gonna feel like this every time…?”

“It’s reality, mi amor,” Vaggie said softly, running her fingers through her girlfriend’s hair. “It’s like I told you when we first started this; life’s not a musical, it’s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows like you wanted. We’re just going to have to learn how to move on. All of us.” 

“Well if this isn’t just the quaintest thing I’ve ever seen!”

The hotel’s staff all immediately tensed, attention snapping to the newest arrival to the lobby. There had been no sound nor indication of his arrival which set them all on edge, especially once they realized who was standing in front of them. 

Vox grinned, arms neatly folded behind his back as he surveyed the hotel’s interior. “So it’s true then, Val’s precious Angel has ascended; he hadn’t been by the Studio in quite some time, so we’ve been wondering what would happen. Quite the turn of events, might I say! Hell’s first case of redemption, who would’ve thunk it!” 

“What do you want?” Charlie asked with a bite to her voice, standing up defiantly. “I know you’re not here to check in, now spill it.” 

“Deary me little princess, you’ve got quite the mouth on you,” Vox laughed, the tone of his voice seeming to fluctuate rapidly with the noise. “5 years with a softened Overlord under your roof seems to have made you forget what one who doesn’t want to be your friend is capable of.” 

“He’s right Charlie, calm down a bit,” Vaggie whispered, tugging on her arm. “Don’t provoke him.” 

Charlie’s eyes briefly flashed red, but took her girlfriend’s warning and sat back down with her arms crossed. “Please tell us why you’re here, Overlord Vox,” she said after taking a deep breath, trying to push down her emotions for the time being and act like the royalty she was. 

“Better,” Vox mockingly applauded, a short clip of an audience cheering in the background that was so eerily reminiscent of Alastor’s. “I didn’t come to hurt any of you poor creatures, but if I must then so be it. No, no, the true reason for my unannounced visit…” His grin flashed as he snapped his fingers, the small box TV that Husk kept on the bar’s counter suddenly humming to life. “Was to confirm that Alastor’s protection had been lifted from these walls. And considering the fact that I was able to stroll right in, I think it’s safe to say that’s the case. Which means~ deer is back in season,” he said with a wink. “But! That doesn’t concern any of you now, I’m sure. Now that he’s gone and abandoned ship and all.” 

A snippet of a sad song played, Vox feigning sorrow as the hotel staff looked on with expressions ranging from anger to exasperation. “Good luck tracking down the bastard,” Husk grumbled sarcastically, contempt for their unwanted guest leaking through the words. “Doubt he’s gonna be out and about frolicking.” Niffty nodded in agreement, sticking out her tongue. 

“Oh I’m not counting on it my feline friend, I’ve been trying to track down that pesky reality-warping tower of his for decades and I’m sure that’s where he’s gone. But I digress!” He turned on the heels of his feet and snapped once more, the TV quieting and surrounding lights ominously flickering along with it. “I really must be on my way, so much to do and… well, all the time in the world to do it, but that being said I don’t much enjoy waiting around! And neither does Val, to be quite frank. Until next time, Happy Hotel!”

A flicker coupled with static and he was gone, followed by a few moments of silence. “Oh this is bad,” Husk groaned, face cradled in his paws. “This is really fucking bad.” 

“Care to elaborate since you seem to know all about his history with Al?” Vaggie asked, slightly irritable. “I know  _ of _ Vox but I don’t think any of us know exactly what he’s capable of and what his deal is. How bad exactly are we talking?”

Husk glanced through his claws, face still covered. “Long story short, they’ve been at each other’s throats for fucking ages. Vox is one of the only demons Alastor has been actively cautious about because he was never completely sure he could win if it came down to a fight between them. Hence all of his measures to protect the hotel and his Tower. But now he’s out there, emotional and injured, bound to trip up sooner rather than later, and I don’t think he’s going to last long with Vox after him.” 

“Well we have to go do something then!” Charlie suddenly stood, pointing towards the door. “He’s vulnerable and I’m not gonna just let him get killed over this! He’s been protecting us this long, it’s time we repaid the favor!”

“Your heart’s in the right place kid, but that’s the worst thing we could possibly do for him right now,” Husk replied, finally uncovering his face to return to the bottle he’d been downing. 

“I don’t see why it would be,” Charlie huffed, already starting to make her way to the door before Vaggie could stop her. “I know it’s dangerous but that‘s something I’m willing to-“

“What are you going to do when he lashes out at you?” Charlie stopped, looking back at Husk. “What are you going to do if he’s so far gone he doesn’t recognize you? What are you going to do if he accidentally kills you? If Vox is already there and you get caught in the crossfire? Do you think that’s going to help him at all? And that’s if you can even find where the bastard has hidden himself.” 

“I…” Charlie faltered, taking his words into consideration. “What… do I do then? What do we do? Just sit around and see what happens?”

“I think what we need to do is turn in for the night,” Vaggie said, walking over to her and pulling her into a hug. “It’s been a long day and we all need some rest, we still have a hotel to run despite everything.” 

“She’s right, me ‘n the little one will keep an eye on things down here,” Husk said gruffly, gesturing to Niffty who gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. “You two turn in for the night, not much we can do right now about anything.”

Charlie frowned, burying her face in Vaggie’s shoulder. “...I don’t fully agree that there’s nothing we can do but some rest would be nice…” came her muffled voice. 

“Come on, you stubborn princess, let’s get you in bed,” Vaggie patted Charlie’s back before letting her go, taking hold of her hand and pulling her towards the stairs. She looked back and whispered a quick ‘thank you’ to Husk, who grunted in response. 

Once the two were out of sight, the cat demon gave a deep sigh as he leaned heavily on the counter of the bar. “What a fuckin’ mess today ended up being.” He took a swig of the closest bottle to him. “So this is what we got to look forward to when we’ve been ‘redeemed’ huh? Kinda shitty for everyone involved if you ask me.” 

Niffty hummed sadly. “This whole thing sucks.” She jumped a bit when she heard a rustling noise behind her, looking around for what had caused it. 

Fat Nuggets let out a small grunt, blinking up at the smaller demon with painfully innocent eyes. Niffty lightly scratched behind the pig’s ears, to which he gave a happy oink. A few seconds later he pulled away, seeming to look around for something. “I don’t think he’s coming back, Nugs,” Niffty said quietly, to which Fat Nuggets looked back up at her and tilted his head. “I don’t think either of them are.” 

The three of them sat that way in silence for the rest of the night, Husk tossing a spare blanket on top of Niffty when she eventually fell asleep with the pig snuggled into her arms. 

-

When the day had turned to night, Alastor couldn’t say. He’d lost track of the hours he’d spent sprawled in this corner of his tower, staring at the wall like it would give him the answers he was searching for. His shadow was wavering in the space between having physical form and not, seeming like a mirage more than anything. 

Blood still flowed from the wound the angel had inflicted on him, the steady drip from his leg to the floor creating a puddle that was slowly growing. He wouldn’t bleed out; his demonic regeneration would make sure of that, the wound wasn’t fatal. And he couldn’t really be bothered to change the bandage Charlie had left him with. 

Alastor let his head fall back against the wall, his antlers lightly scraping against it as his gaze drifting to the ceiling, smile still stubbornly in place. He’d let himself get attached. That was the one thing he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do.  _ Don’t get attached.  _ That was his one rule, had been his rule since he was alive. Emotions get in the way, he knew this, but he had thought maybe this time it would be okay. What a hilarious mess he’d gotten himself into. A fine, fine punishment for a sinner like him, someone who was never going to be allowed up into the pearly gates of Heaven. 

He clenched his hands into fists, claws digging into his palms until they bled. This wasn’t like him. He was the Radio Demon, one of Hell’s most powerful entities, someone who ruled with fear and thrived off the terror he created. Really, what was losing a single individual? Regardless of how warm and cared for said individual made him feel? It shouldn’t mean a damn thing to him. Not a goddamn thing. 

Alastor picked up his microphone that he had tossed to the side, using it to help prop himself up and stand. He waved a hand over his injured leg, placing a temporary seal over the wound and magically restitching the torn material to conceal it. He did a quick once over on the rest of his appearance, making sure he was tidied up and showing no signs of the fatigue he was most definitely feeling. His shadow flitted back and forth in the meantime, an almost concerned expression on its face. Not that he noticed. 

He cleared his throat, glancing out the window and down at the world beneath him. “Nothing an old-fashioned broadcast won’t fix, I’m sure!” he suddenly announced, his slightly hoarse voice echoing off the walls. He cleared his throat once more, tapping on his mic. “Testing, testing! Ah, much better! Can’t have the host losing his voice now can we?” 

Alastor turned, pushing down every emotion he had allowed to come to the surface since starting with the hotel. This was going to be a fresh start, and this time he was going to stick to his guns, so to speak, and he was  _ not _ going to get attached. Not to anyone or anything, not ever again. He was going back to the one thing he was good at, no, the one thing he excelled at. A bastard like him was never going to earn a set of feathery wings anyways, so why not go back to his old ways? He couldn’t think of a single damn reason not to. 

-

It was early in the morning, early enough that really nobody in their right mind was awake yet. Light had barely started to creep upon the outside world, but something had jolted all of the hotel’s staff immediately from their rest and sent them running to the lobby, bedhead and all. 

“Ladies and gents and all others I hope you’re tuning in! Not really that you have a choice in the matter!” A laugh track played. “It’s been quite some time I know, but you’re all in for a special broadcast today my dear listeners!” 

“Is it…?” Charlie asked out of breath, hair sticking out every which way. 

“Unfortunately,” Husk groaned, looking like he hadn’t slept (which he probably hadn’t). “It’s too damn early in the morning for this.” The old-style radio that sat in the lobby sparked slightly, a quiet jazz song overlaid by static playing. 

“What the hell is he doing?” Vaggie asked, clearly upset over being woken up this early and not in a much better state than Charlie. “He made a promise to stop doing his broadcasts!” 

“D’you really think he gives two shits what he promised anymore? He’s rebuilding his reputation and going back to his old ways, it’s pretty obvious,” Husk replied. “Which honestly worries me when it comes to the hotel, I have no idea how he’s gonna feel if he sees any of us.” 

“He wouldn’t hurt any of us, especially not you or Niffty,” Charlie said confidently. “Even if he’s… going back to the way he was before all of this he wouldn’t just throw away everything we went through getting to this point.” She remembered how sad Alastor had looked before leaving the day before, how much emotion she’d been able to see him express over the past few years, and there’s no way she’d believe he would just forget all of that. He had been so close to redemption, no matter what the angels had said, she could feel it. 

“That positivity is gonna get you killed, kiddo. You can’t think like that with Alastor. He’s broken, now even more than before, you can’t reason with him.”

A scream suddenly erupted from the radio, sending shivers down everyone’s spines. “Ah it seems like we’ve found today’s first victim, dear listeners! He was treading foolishly close to my territory, certainly the last mistake he’ll ever make! Do you have anything you’d like to say to our audience this fine morning, darling? Any last words?” 

“Someone please hel-!” Another deafening scream followed by a horrid crunching noise. 

The hotel staff had all covered their ears at this point, teeth gritted as the awful noises continued. Husk finally threw the damned radio through the nearest window, unable to turn the thing off due to Alastor’s control. “I don’t care how worried any of you are, I’m not sitting through one of his fucking broadcasts. Any objections?” 

They all shook their heads, Charlie staring out the window the radio had been thrown through. “Are we really not going to do anything?” she asked one last time, glancing back at the others. “There has to be something we can do to stop him at the very least, he’s better than this I know he is!” 

Husk only gave her a look, before lightly shaking his head. Vaggie sighed, and Niffty looked the other way. “Hun I know you’re upset,” Vaggie said finally, taking hold of Charlie’s hand. “But those angels were right, he can’t be redeemed. And I don’t really think he was ever looking for it anyways. He’s made his choice, he’s moving on, now you have to do the same if we’re going to keep this hotel running.” 

Charlie looked at her, trying to push down the tears she felt trying to surface. She nodded, letting her hair fall to cover her face. “It’s... stupid but I miss having him around. Both of them…” 

“We know, love. All of us feel the same.” 

Charlie’s hellphone suddenly rang, jolting her out of her reverie. She gave Vaggie a confused look, pulling the device out of her pocket. She grew even more confused when she saw the contact name that flashed across the screen. “I… have to take this I’ll be right back.” 

She quickly ran out the front entrance, answering the call just as the door shut behind her. “...Dad?” she asked hesitantly as she raised the phone to her ear. Her mind was swimming, she couldn’t imagine why he’d be reaching out after years of radio silence. 

“You’re at the hotel right now.” Not a question, a statement. 

“Y-yes?” Charlie answered, not quite sure how to reply. This was the first conversation they’d had since the hotel opened and she wasn’t quite sure how to process that they were actually talking. 

There was a sigh. “Stay there as long as you can. This whole redemption fiasco is making a damned mess of things out here, and it sounds like your Radio Demon friend is out on the loose again.” 

Charlie stayed silent. There was a part of her that was desperately hoping for a “congratulations” or a “you proved me wrong” from him, but she knew it wouldn’t come. He was upset, most likely with her, and she didn’t know why she halfway expected anything different. 

“Char…” Her eyes widened, perking up in surprise. He hadn’t used that nickname for her since she was very young. Another sigh on his end. “Listen, I tried to keep you from getting yourself involved in this and obviously it didn’t work, but… there’s things you don’t understand… it’s…” He stopped, clearing his throat. “Things aren’t the way you think they are…” He sounded like he wanted to say more but cut himself off. 

Charlie continued to sit in silence, trying to wrap her head around those words. What did that mean? Why was he telling her this now? 

“You don’t have to say anything back, I just wanted… to warn you.” There was another lapse of silence, followed by a tone that meant Lucifer had ended the call and she’d lost connection with him. 

She stared at the phone in her hand like it had grown wings, still trying to process the one-sided conversation. Had she been wrong this whole time? What had she missed? 

-

A week passed in the blink of an eye. Alastor continued to broadcast daily in an attempt to start culturing fear among the denizens of Hell once again - it was working quite well. The lapse of fear that had come from Alastor residing at the hotel and not making any notable movements in 5 years was completely gone. More and more demons were afraid of even going outside due to the rampaging Overlord, coupled with growing rumors of angels appearing outside of the Extermination. 

Things weren’t looking great, and Alastor knew the royal families were likely to start moving against him if he continued to indiscriminately murder on the daily, but quite frankly he couldn’t find a reason to care. He’d forgotten how exhilarating it was to be wrapped in his magic and the smell of blood, the bodies of those he’d slaughtered under his heel. This was what he excelled at, and he couldn’t believe he’d given this up for so long. And for what? A snippet of amusement? A chance at happiness? At peace? The idea made him laugh heartily as he drove the end of his mic into a body below him. 

“Something funny, deer?” Alastor’s grin sharpened, the radio dials that now constantly overlaid his eyes turning quickly as he snapped his neck to look behind him. His claws crackled with magic as he recognized the TV demon.

“Why yes, actually,” Alastor nearly growled, static accompanying the words. “I was just thinking an Overlord would make the perfect lunchtime snack, wouldn’t you say?” 

Vox laughed. “Oh I just needed to see for myself how heartbroken the poor Radio Demon was, and how he’d started losing any bit of humanity he still clung to. Quite sad really, I almost find myself feeling sorry,” he said mockingly, grinning as Alastor snarled at him. “But I think now’s as good a time as any to settle our differences, Al. What say you?”

Sigils flashed around Alastor. “That’s the first thing you’ve ever said I agree with,  _ darling. _ ” 

The two met with a blinding spark of electricity, Alastor’s mic pressed aggressively against Vox’s throat as the latter wrapped cables around Alastor’s. The deer demon let out a burst of static that sounded like a hiss, eyes narrowing as he bared his teeth at the other. 

Vox tightened his hold around Alastor’s throat, grin widening as he made a small noise of discomfort. His grin slipped as he felt claws dig into his screen, the sturdy glass screeching in protest as Alastor’s shadow increased the pressure of its grip. Alastor took the opportunity to snap his fingers and wrap the other in crushing tentacles, chuckling menacingly as he gouged his palm and increased the pressure dramatically. 

Alastor towered over Vox as the TV demon struggled to gasp for breath, cracks starting to make their way across the screen that constituted his face. Vox glowered at the smug bastard, looking for a way out. He could swear Alastor hadn’t been quite this strong during their last encounter, but then again it had been quite some time. He surveyed the deer demon who was taking his time finishing things, when he noticed something interesting. Alastor was limping. Just barely, but he was. And he knew that injury wasn’t from their fight. 

A grin flashed its way back onto Vox’s face, sending a single cable to plunge itself into Alastor’s right leg where he could now tell a wound was hiding. There was a screech of radio interference, and a lapse in Alastor’s powers that lasted just long enough for Vox to free himself and knock the other to the ground. Vox dug his hand into the wound, ignoring the continuous screeching noises of pain Alastor emitted and reveling in the fact he had the upper hand again. 

“Tsk tsk, bad idea starting a fight while injured dearie,” Vox crooned, not even flinching as Alastor’s claws hooked into his arm and dragged long gashes across it. “Looks like the angels left you something to remember them by didn’t they?” Anger flashed across Alastor’s face, and Vox felt excitement run through him. Oh this fight was just getting started, and he couldn’t wait to see where it took them. 

-

Charlie gritted her teeth as the TV on the bar sparked yet again, tapping her pencil with increasing annoyance on the table as she tried to power through this paperwork. “Husk are you sure it’s not plugged in? And that it’s not broken?” 

The cat demon shrugged, holding up the cord. “No idea what the fuck’s wrong with it. Maybe Vox is just doing it to be an asshole, who knows.”

“Well can we get rid of it?” Vaggie asked, equally annoyed. “I don’t think any of us want to sit through that any longer.” 

Husk grumbled something under his breath, throwing the cord and fixing himself another drink. He made no move to get rid of the offending television. Before Charlie could snap at him again, the doors to the hotel were flung open and she looked over in surprise. 

“Holy FUCK that took so much longer than I wanted it to, those shitbags did  _ not _ wanna get rid of me for whatever reason but guess who’s back bitches?!” 

Everyone in the lobby of the hotel stared with mouths open in shock, not really comprehending what was happening. Charlie stuttered, trying and failing to produce a coherent sentence. Luckily Vaggie was finally able to find her voice. 

“Angel what the  _ fuck are you doing back here??”  _

Said spider grinned, looking stupidly proud of himself. “Oh I just pissed ‘em off till they let me go. Well… ‘let me go’ isn’t exactly what happened but eh close enough. How have my favorite bottom dwelling demons been holdin’ up without yours truly?” 

He barely finished his sentence before Charlie had dived over to give him an aggressive hug, face buried in his chest fluff. “I missed you so damn much but you shouldn’t be here you moron,” she cried, voice muffled. “You finally got redeemed you should be up there enjoying yourself.” 

Angel huffed, patting her on the back. “Nothin’ to enjoy up there, toots. I don’t think I enjoyed a second of it. Oh and there’s no sex allowed which y’know is, kinda a dealbreaker, who wants to live with rules like that? ‘Sides,” he smirked, pulling Charlie away from him and leaning down. “I ain’t got my family up there so what’s the point?”

Charlie smiled up at him, tears streaming down her face. Vaggie was trying and failing to hide her own smile, while Husk was still trying to process the fact that Angel had just suddenly appeared when he really shouldn’t have. Niffty had disappeared momentarily, but was now speeding back with something in her arms. 

Angel gasped as he saw Fat Nuggets, and the pig nearly leaped out of Niffty’s arms towards him. “Nugs holy shit I missed you!” He cradled the pig, giving him scratches and kisses. “Has everyone been treatin’ you well? You look like you’ve been spoiled,” he crooned, smothering the animal. 

This continued on for about a minute, before Angel finally put Fat Nuggets down and looked around the hotel. His face fell a bit. “So uh I feel like I might regret askin’, but where’s Al? Is he doin’ okay?” The mood immediately sombered, everyone looking away from Angel. The spider demon frowned. “Oh it’s not that bad is it? I’m sure he’s been mopin’ in his room the whole time I been gone, nothin’ seeing me isn’t gonna fix.”

The TV sparked once again, finally buzzing to life despite not being connected to any electricity. “A warm round of applause for everyone just tuning in! How are all you lovely demons doing this wonderful afternoon?” Everyone in the room tensed as they recognized Vox’s voice, trying to make out what was happening through the fuzzy picture on the television. “I figured I’d take a page out of my  _ deer _ friend’s book and host a broadcast of my own, how does that sound?” A round of applause, and Angel felt his heart immediately drop like a rock once he could finally make out what he was seeing. 

Vox’s hand was tangled in Alastor’s hair, holding his head up as the bloodied deer demon glowered at him with teeth bared in a stubborn grin. “Our resident Radio Demon has been causing quite a stir the past week now hasn’t he? Not only going after Overlords but minor demons who were merely unlucky enough to cross paths with him, what senseless violence! Maybe I’ll do all of Hell a favor and put him to rest for good, how does that sound to everyone at home?” 

Alastor growled, eyes flashing red as he lunged towards Vox. The broadcast turned to static for a few moments before shutting down once again. 

“I need to go get him,” Angel said quietly, immediately turning to walk back out the door. 

“No Angel wait!” Charlie grabbed one of his hands. “You don’t… you don’t know what he’s been like since you were taken. He’s completely gone back to the way he was before the hotel, he’s been broadcasting again, I… we don’t think he can be reasoned with anymore.”

Angel looked back at her, still frowning. “I don’t give two shits about any o’ that. Al is Al, he’s not a mindless monster for tryin’ to figure out his emotions - even though this uh. May not be the way to go about it I’ll have to talk to him about that later. But I’m goin’ to get him, after makin’ a couple of stops on the way.” 

-

Alastor groaned as his head was pushed to the ground once again, mind swimming. He was in so much pain, he couldn’t remember the last time he was in this much pain. He couldn’t think properly, the wound on his leg was really doing him in now that Vox had discovered it and opened it wider. 

“What’s the matter dearest? You haven’t been putting up much of a fight anymore, that injury of yours must be pre-tty severe.” 

“Fuck you,” Alastor growled into the dirt, trying to regain some kind of bearing so he could start a decent counterattack. He needed to at least find a way to escape so he could go recuperate at his tower. It didn’t help that his shadow had become complacent at his side, no longer acting on its own due to his growing lack of focus. If he could just find an opening…

He felt cables start creeping their way back around his neck, slowly increasing their pressure. “I’d hate to drag this out any longer, I’m a busy man and I can’t spend all day here unfortunately. I think this is goodbye, de-“ Vox was suddenly cut off, letting out a yelp that was a mix of surprise and pain as he quickly released Alastor. 

“Paws off, shitshow! Don’t know if ya got the memo, but this one’s mine!” 

Alastor made no move to get up, ears twitching and eyes wide. That voice… no it couldn’t be him, he was gone, forever out of his reach. He was hallucinating because of the blood loss, maybe some other poor soul with a vendetta against Alastor had stumbled across them. He chuckled at the thought of some minor demon actually doing him in now that he was this weak, he sure as hell couldn’t defend himself. 

There was the sound of a tommy gun firing once more, Vox shouting curses at the surprise interloper. The new demon moved closer to Alastor’s side, and the deer still made no move to get up. He would just have to time this right, and if his wounds could heal quickly enough to get him back on his feet he’d be set to escape while Vox was distracted. 

“I’m sure Val ain’t gonna be pleased if ya hurt me at all, asshat, so if ya wouldn’t mind retreatin’ while ya still can I’ll leave ya in one piece!” 

There was another burst of static-overlaid curses, and Alastor was surprised to hear Vox retreat. Maybe the other Overlord had been more injured than Alastor gave himself credit for. Regardless, he still had to figure a way out of the situation he’d found himself in. The other demon was already very close to him and depending on how fast they were he didn’t really stand a chance of getting very far. He held himself perfectly still, searching for an opportunity to get away from here. 

The gun the other demon had been holding clattered to the ground, and Alastor nearly flinched in anticipation of an attack. “Hey Al, is it okay if I flip ya over?” The voice was too soft, too familiar, and the fleeting hope he felt stung him to the core. He was hallucinating, that person wasn’t actually here, and he was going to die alone here only surrounded by those that hated him. 

“Get away from me or I’ll tear you apart,” he growled, trying to sound threatening. So much static overlaid the words that they were barely understandable to even him. 

A laugh. “Y’know I thought you’d be a lot happier to see me, ya emotionally stunted dumbass.” 

Alastor tensed as he felt a pair of hands - no, two pairs of hands - gently take hold of the least injured parts of his arms and torso and rotate him so he was facing upwards. He was dragged to a sitting position, head falling backwards into the softest mound of fluff as arms embraced him as tightly as they could without hurting him. He sat in shock for a few moments, staring forward. He didn’t want to move because if this really was a hallucination, god he didn’t want it to end. His ear twitched, brushing gently against the fluff he was leaning against. 

Alastor finally decided to risk a glance upward, chest tight as he prepared for the apparition to disappear any second. Instead he was met with Angel smiling gently down at him, a hand slowly brushing through his disheveled hair. “...how?” he finally asked, voice hoarse and staticky. 

“Long story; I’ll tell ya later babe,” Angel replied softly, planting a kiss to the top of Alastor’s head. 

Alastor finally let the realization that Angel was back, he was really back, crash over him and he felt those good-for-nothing tears rush to his eyes once more. His ever persistent smile disappeared momentarily, but it wasn’t out of sadness. He covered his face with an arm, hating the weakness he was suddenly showing.

“Why… why would you choose this, over Heaven?” 

Angel laughed once more at the ridiculousness of the question. “There ain’t nothin’ for me up there.” He gently removed Alastor’s arm from his face, wiping away the tears that were so out of place. “Heaven is here; with you. Nothin’s gonna change that, ya idiotic deer. And never being able to have your cooking again? Nah, that’s a hell in itself. Now let’s go get you washed up, kay?” 

Alastor gave a genuine laugh, smile finding its way back into place. He felt his anger seep away, regaining the peace of mind he’d lost a week ago. Heaven is here, huh?

What a strange, utterly bizarre concept. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand that’s it for this one~! I have a lot of ideas for companion fics though so keep an eye out for those 👀 I have plans for a sequel and for an Angel POV during that week timeskip but I’m gonna take a bit of a break before attempting those. Hope you all enjoyed this one nonetheless, until next time! ❤️


End file.
